Enterprise benefits community

ARARAT - The work of Ararat Community Enterprise, which assists local groups, organisations and clubs across the district, is being promoted in the hope that more community members offer support.

Enterprise benefits community

Max Perovich from Ararat Community Enterprise and Ararat Football Club joint senior coach David Hosking survey the lights at Alexandra Oval, which Ararat Community Enterprise helped fund. Picture: PETER PICKERING

ARARAT - The work of Ararat Community Enterprise, which assists local groups, organisations and clubs across the district, is being promoted in the hope that more community members offer support.

Ararat Community Enterprise was launched in 2007 and is a not-for-profit charity organisation that contributes back into the community. The Board of Management is made up of local people.

As a second year member of the Community Enterprise committee, Max Perovich has been busy speaking to past recipients and committee members such as David Hosking to see firsthand why the program had been so successful and how the current committee can take it to another level.

Mr Perovich said many people in Ararat are still unaware of Ararat Community Enterprise and the enormous benefits that it has for the whole community.

Local Business

"Anyone can help and every level of support makes an important contribution to the Ararat Community Enterprise ability to keep giving back into the community," he said.

"All that people need to do is to support the businesses that are linked to Ararat Community Enterprise, namely Bendigo Bank, Telco and WFI Insurance.

"As an example Mr Jones places $200 with the Bendigo Bank as a typical term deposit and receives his regular interest as he would with any other bank.

"The Bendigo Bank pays Ararat Community Enterprise a commission because Mr Jones told the bank that he wanted to be a part of supporting the Ararat Community Enterprise.

"There is no cost to Mr Jones but he has made a great contribution to Ararat."

Mr Perovich said contributions similar to this help the organisation assist community groups financially, including $40,000 which was raised in 2010 to support the construction of the Alexandra Oval light tower upgrade and the $100,000 pledge for the reserve's new sporting complex.

"There have been many Mr and Mrs Jones within the community that have contributed to date from employees, businesses, schools, farmers, retirees, young people and we are hoping that more and more people will get on board," he said.

Mr Hosking, joint-senior coach of the Ararat Rats, said the football club had benefited immensely from the financial assistance of Ararat Community Enterprise.

"We have been able to host night games along with practice matches under the lights and that's a good thing, particularly early in the year people like to come out on a nice night," he said.

"The other thing is the quality of our training. Instead of being stuck in a corner of the ground or certain area, which means you then wear out the surface, we're able to use the whole oval.

"We are very lucky to have an organisation like the Ararat Community Enterprise working hard to help build and strengthen the region's assests."

Mr Perovich said Ararat Community Enterprise committee members will be promoting the work that has already be achieved by the group in the hope that more people will come onboard and offer support.

"There are so many stories like this that need to be told and I am sure that when people know how simple it is they would love to be a part of this great Ararat spirit," he said.